2.3 You Say You in the Game, but I Yet to See You Play, You Say You Goin' Hard, but Nobody Feels the Same (yeah Paul Ryan...)

1. The hard-liners essentially want to use routine but critical pieces of must pass legislation to help secure ideological concessions from the White House (debt ceiling bills, government funding bills etc.).

2. The pragmatists say it is essentially unlikely that Obama will compromise on core issues in order to maintain the basic functions of government. If the republicans tried to use a strategy like that it would make them seem like a joke.

3. Paul Ryan wanted family time as well as relief from the traditional fundraising obligations. His other demands were the backing of all GOP subcaucuses and he wanted to curb the use of procedural motion. (He didn't really get his way with that last one)

4. He suggests that the relationship will be very similar to Boehner's relationship to the hardline conservatives, since he has not done a lot different, to set the relationship up differently beforehand.

5. Ryan will lose his credibility that he has built up for being a visionary. Over time, his covering for the timids' timidity will ruin what he has built up, and he may not seem like a big ideas guy anymore.

2.2 Oh Lord, know yourself, know your worth, My actions been louder than my words, How you so high, but still so down to Earth (#Politicians)

1. 70% of state legislatures, 60% of governors, 55% of attorneys general and secretary of state are all held by Republicans. They also control both chambers of Congress.

2. They are confident they will keep the power that they do have. They are more focused on how to use that power to get what they want. The democrats are torn apart as well, and the republican party is at least organizing itself.

3. They are the fundamental building blocks of American Politics. This is the level where the greatest level of electoral entrenchment is possible since they run the redistricting process for the House of Representatives and themselves.

4. Only seven states are under unified democratic control.

5.A) An unprecedented wave of restrictions on abortion rights. 
   B) spread of union-hostile "right to work" laws in the great lake states 
   C) curbs on voting rights to further tilt the electorate in a richer, whiter, and older direction
   D) large scale layoffs of teachers and other public sector workers who are likely to support democrats

6. The Democrats probably have between 11 and 15 percent of the population under their style of government. (California is 10% of population, next largest is Oregon with about 1%)

7. The GOP has some idealogical flexibility.It is more difficult to get people to commit to fully democratic ideals. The type of commitment necessary of people from the Democratic party is the largest reason it is more likely to inherently fail. This means that the Republicans who have the advantage, will more likely keep winning state legislature. (Also refer to #3 for another reason-redrawing of boundaries)

8. The Republicans have two basic plans to push their agendas. 
     a) do nothing and hope for better luck in the democratic party messing up
     b) shift left on immigration to get some Latino votes while retaining the core of the party's commitments

Not "amazing plans", but they will work.

   The Democratic agenda is to win the presidency, since it must be pretty easy. Taking it so easy will cause problems (and maybe a loss) especially if the Republicans draw more votes. The democrats are steadily shifting farther to the left not carefully assessing the implications of these shifts on the voters. The democrats are also showing much more interest in seeing who they prefer, a far left candidate or a pretty far left candidate, and they are not considering what to do to have either candidates policies passed when they are in power.

9. Hispanic voters have the key to help republicans win the presidential election, without changing any core issue opinions. If the republicans have a majority in all of the government it will be easier to pass all types of policies.

10. same-sex marriage, gun control, taxes, minimum wage, child care, and parental leave

2.1 All My Life I want Money and Power (Trump and Lamar share something in common)

1. Party Insiders are the most important in deciding the nominee for the president. They use their power to push the candidate they want to be the nominee, and they often get their way.

2. They were trying to discredit Trump in front of a large audience in order to get rid of the possibility of him becoming president.

3. "Dissatisfaction and palpable anger with the current state of the party" is driving the Republican voters.

4. He seemed like the most likely candidate to win since he got 2nd in 2008, and he was already getting major endorsements from party figures. Since he was the one the party wanted to won, he won.

5. If their was a candidate who was a clear winner in the pre-Iowa endorsements and won the nomination, then the party would likely choose this candidate. Party insiders clearly backed one candidate before Iowa.

6. The party is not uniting on anyone specifically yet. Jeb Bush has gotten some endorsements, but it is such little that is hardly matters.

7. More recent trends suggest that the voters are the largest determinant in who gets nominated because the party elites are more often following voters.

8. Influencing the primary calendar, changing the ballot qualification requirements, and limiting the number of debates are some ways they can have influence, but these methods often have heavy, unintended consequences. Another way is interventions directed at a specific candidate, which may lead to voter backlash. Also, another big way to influence is through subliminal support for a candidate as well as outright support for a candidate with an endorsement, which cues some voter to vote for that candidate.

9. In contrast with the democrats, a majority of the GOP thinks that the party leadership is doing a bad job of presenting the views of the party, and its people.

10. As we get closer to the election, voters more often start to look at electability of a candidate. Trump's arrogant and volatile personality, may cause himself to fail. In the second debate, his true ignorance of many issues was revealed. In any case, there is a long time left for Trump to fail and lose support, which will likely happen.

1.1 D O L L H O U S E I See Things That Nobody Else Sees (except for Boenher)

1. It was a thankless, exhausting job. Boehner was stuck in a partisan and institutional dynamic, which also pushed him to leave. (He does not want to get involved with a possible coming fight about another government shutdown.)
2. "the majority party members decide among themselves who their nominee is and then vote for him or her in a block. The majority party's leader, in short, becomes speaker." (this is generally the process, and it will be the process this time as well)3.He repeatedly cut deals with the Obama administration that his members would vote against. (Conservatives felt he could have done more)4. In essence, federal funds are indirectly supporting the availability of abortions in America.5. Recently, they threatened Boehner. It looked like it was going to fail, but Boehner is resigning beforehand anyway. (so they were just starting to take action, and we are not sure what took them so long)6."To achieve more things, Boehner believed, correctly, that conservatives need a Republican president who will sign laws, appoint judges, and issue executive orders. Under the circumstances, they ought to be avoiding extreme tactics that only make winning the White House harder" (Conservatives feel that enough is not being accomplished, but Boehner knows there has to be a healthy medium for a Republican to have a shot at the executive seat. If they can get a president, then a lot more can be accomplished.)7."Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican who replaced Cantor as the No. 2 guy in the GOP leadership, is the odds-on favorite to replace Boehner." I believe Kevin McCarthy will be less successful then Boehner because as he goes in, he is already put in a highly tense situation. It will be harder for him to get a start then it was for Boehner. Also, even though there have been no remarkable differences distinguished yet, if this candidate is any less willing to fight to negotiate, or more crowd influenced than Boehner, then he will immediately lose leverage that Boehner always maintained. This helped him have his thoughts and opinions voiced (and accepted to a degree) even by Democrats.